Gobelsburg, Dry Rose

"If you are a brave explorer who enjoys testing the fabulous flavors of the 

global culture, then join us on this weekly exploration. These posts will cover 

everything from the latest cocktail craze to the wonderful world of wine." -Chad

Gobelsburg, Dry Rose

Easter is coming up this weekend and that gives us an excuse to talk about one of our favorite topics in the wine world: DRY ROSE! This category of wine is often misunderstood because consumers have been conditioned to think that everything that is pink is sweet. Not only are most pink (or rose) wines dry, but they are very popular around the world. This trend is slowly catching on in the United States as wine geeks like us champion the awesomeness of dry roses to customers. Most of the dry rose wines start arriving in the US around this time and pair extremely well with the usual Easter dinner foods.

Chad the Tie Guy's Drink of the Week: I love dry rose wines, but this one blew me away. The combination of indigenous Austrian grapes (Zweigelt and St. Laurent) give this wine super aromatics of rose petal, cherry and strawberry with a really clean finish. This is one of those wines that just disappears from the glass. If you try one dry rose this year, make it this one!

Grape Varietals:  Zweigelt and St. Laurent

Wine Region: Osterreich, Austria

Alcohol Content: 12%

White Horse Wine Color Code System:       DRY ROSE WINE      

Food Pairings: Try this wine with our Montchevre Goat Cheese on a fresh baguette with salty black olives and marinated roasted red peppers.

Items in italics are available at the Market at White Horse Wine & Spirits

Ciders for Wine Lovers

"If you are a brave explorer who enjoys testing the fabulous flavors of the 

global culture, then join us on this weekly exploration. These posts will cover 

everything from the latest cocktail craze to the wonderful world of wine." -Chad

Ciders for Wine Lovers

Now that Spring is here and the weather is beautiful, it is time to spend more time outside. One of the most refreshing but little understood categories of beverages is ciders. Much like the Rieslings of the wine world, most people assume that all ciders are sweet. In fact, most ciders are made in a dry style with a super complex flavor that will amaze white wine lovers of Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. 

One of our favorite producers is Farnum Hill out of Vermont. These guys are not just cider makers who buy apple juice (like most of the big cider makers). These are apple farmers who use their ancient apple groves to produce ciders of exceptional quality that are well balanced and dry. If your in the mood to enjoy a Spring evening with a good drink, then pick up a bottle of Farnum Hill Farmhouse Cider.

Chad the Tie Guy's Drink of the Week: I love farmhouse ciders because this is the original style of cider simply made from fresh pressed apples and natural wild yeast (used to ferment the sweet apple juice). These ciders are not overly syrupy and sweet like the newer ciders can be but are very easy drinking with a hint of sweetness. This makes the cider taste, well like fresh apples that are juicy but not overly sweet. Think of this as a liquid apple with a little bit of a buzz as a bonus. Enjoy with the gorgeous Spring weather!

Food Pairings: This pairs well with soft cheeses (such as goat cheese) drizzles with fresh honey and topped with toasted salty almond. Try this with a slow cooker pork and sauerkraut topped with crisp apple slices for a real sweet and sour treat!

Cocktail Ideas:

Basic Recipe (aka Kick it Up a Notch): Combine 6oz of Cider with 1oz other flavor

Some Classic Examples:

     Apple Blossom= 6oz Farnum Hill Farmhouse Cider + 1oz Elderflower Liqueur

     Irish Apple= 6oz Farnum Hill Farmhouse Cider + 1 oz Irish Whiskey 

     Apple Pie= 6oz Farnum Hill Farmhouse Cider + 1oz Fireball

     Carmel Apple= 6oz Farnum Hill Farmhouse Cider + 1oz Caramel Vodka

Drink of the Week: Ballast Point Artisanal Cocktails

Ballast Point Artisanal Cocktail Cans

As Spring approaches I want to spend more time outside with a delicious drink! If you are a brave explorer who enjoys testing the fabulous flavors of the global culture, then join us on this weekly exploration. These posts will cover everything from the latest cocktail craze to the wonderful world of wine.

Chad the Tie Guy's Drink of the Week: We want to spend more time outside at picnic spots and less time making craft cocktails. That definitely does not mean we want to resort to the overly sweet and artificially flavored premade cocktails that have been available in stores for years. Now with the craft cocktail movement we are seeing more premade cocktails with natural ingredients that we would use to make cocktails at home. These spirits are of high quality spirits and no weird chemical preservatives. 

These cans contain nothing but the best spirits made from scratch at Ballast Points distillery in San Diego, California and mixed with their made on premise mixers (bloody mary mix and homemade sodas). A great way to drink easily without having to make and transport everything to your next awesome picnic!

Ballast Point Cocktail:

FUGU BLOODY MARY 

Like the venomous namesake fish this Fugu Bloody Mary packs a sting. We’ve combined our signature Fugu Vodka with our award-winning Bloody Mary mix, featuring ripe tomatoes, exotic spices and a heavy dose of pepper, to make a spicy cocktail that is dangerously drinkable.

ALC. BY VOL. 10% 

Food Pairings: This cocktails spicy bite goes well with our Market's General Sandwich for your next picnic (18 month aged Prosciutto di Parma, mozzarella, vine ripened tomato, house made basil pesto, & field greens on a panini roll).

THREE SHEETS RUM & GINGER 

This Rum & Ginger is like none you’ve ever tasted. We blend our Three Sheets White Rum, crafted from pure cane sugar, with our fresh and spicy house-made ginger beer to create a robust yet balanced craft cocktail. It’s a storm of flavor that is sure to warm your pallet.
ALC. BY VOL. 7% 

Food Pairings: This cocktails rich spice palate really shine with our Market's Surfer Sandwich (The Market's curried mango chicken salad with organic field greens on a multigrain roll).

Three Sheets Rum & Cola 
This cocktail instantly transports you to the tropics. Our smooth Three Sheets White Rum crafted from pure cane sugar blends with earthy cardamom in our house-made cola to create a uniquely exotic yet inviting flavor. The mix of sweet and spice will have you feeling the waves wherever you may be.

ALC. BY VOL. 7% 

Food Pairings: This cocktails sweet and spicy flavor really pop with our Market's Boxer Sandwich (Prosciutto di parma, sweet soppressata, sharp provolone, hot goathorn peppers, arugula, and stone ground mustard on a panini roll).